Amnesia
by Platinum Dragoness
Summary: A girl wake to find herself in the woods with no memory and a funny wand.
1. Amnesia

Title: Amnesia  
**Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.**  
Theme: Crack--Looking glass  
Genre: Drama, General  
Version: Anime  
Rating: PG-13 

_Who am I? While I'm at it, where am I?_

_How did I get to these woods? Why is my memory so foggy?_

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

There was no answer but the chirp of a bird.

She searched through her back pocket and pulled out a wallet to flip through.

"Why the hell don't I carry id?!" All she had was some loose change. _Yen. I'm in Japan. I'm speaking Japanese. I am Japanese._

"Who am I?"

The sound of her voice was cutting in the quiet and made her feel crazy. _My clothes are torn, but good quality. I must go to a good high school. High school? Probably. The sun's setting. That way is west. I should go east northeast. I hope I'm not wrong and there's a town fifteen minutes west of here._

_My hands feel calloused,_ she noted, rubbing her fingers over her hands. She moved her feet around in her shoes. _My feet don't feel soft either. And my shoes are sensible._

It was a new moon, but the stars were stunningly bright. _I've never seen this many stars before. I can't even make out the constellations for the stars. I must be very far from Tokyo._

Other than her wallet, her pocket produced only a dinky red-tipped wand. She couldn't remember its purpose, but she stuck it back in her skirt rather than tossing it away. She must be carrying it for some reason.

She found one other thing in the other pocket, a tiny makeup compact mostly made up of mirror. She studied the stubborn chin and hard dark eyes of a face she had never seen before, before putting it away.

_I need a name,_ she thought to the stars. _This being no one is annoying. I'd rather be someone until I know who I really am. I'll just make something up._

"Morino Hokuto." It sounded solid, usable. _Good._

The going was easy. The hills were rolling and the shrubbery was low. Mostly there were just dead leaves. Hokuto scanned the land from the crest of each hill. It took her a moment to realize that she wasn't seeing new stars over the horizon but the lights of a village on a hill.

_Finally,_ she thought, thought it was over an hour before she reached the castle. Hokuto's temper was growing short, but she calmed her impatience with the knowledge this could take a long while no matter what she or anyone else did.

The gates were standing open when the girl arrived. _Some touristy feudal castle. They'll have maps, so then I'll know the way back to Tokyo (I think I'm from Tokyo, that's where my accent's from) or at least to the nearest bus line._

Just inside the gate was a woman in formal European dress, rather than an archaic kimono like Hokuto had expected. She looked at Hokuto in confusion, then sudden comprehension and curtsied deeply.

"We've been expecting you, Princess Mars. We express the deepest regret about the terrorist attack on your shuttle and are concerned only for your safety. We are doing everything in our power to apprehend the rogue faction responsible. Are Prince Endymion and Lord Jadeite not with you? They're still out there?"

Hokuto's mouth had opened in an "o" of surprise and stayed that way. Princess? Prince? Just what kind of movie set had she stumbled onto?


	2. A Case of Mistaken Identity

Title: A Case of Mistaken Identity  
**Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon**  
Theme: Crack--Bells  
Genre: Drama  
Version: Anime  
Rating: PG-13 

_Princess Mars. Princess. This is some kind of case of mistaken identity. Or not. I don't know and that's pretty much the basic problem here,_ Hokuto thought.

"Princess, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said distantly, shaking her head.

"Your back is covered in blood! Your hair too!"

_It is?_ The fog in her brain seemed to block all feeling from the back of her skull until her fingers touched it. That was where the ache at the edges of her temples had been coming from. _And I thought it was the amnesia. Actually, this could be the cause of the amnesia._

The woman in the elaborate European gown was already calling over for medical aid.

Hokuto considered insisting that no, really, she was fine, but that wasn't how she guessed a princess would behave and she wasn't actually entirely sure she was correct.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

"Do you need to cut my hair?" Now that she was aware of it, it was absurdly long. Hokuto would have liked it short. She had no idea what the real her would have thought of that.

"No, Your Highness," reassured the medic. "Head wounds bleed heavily, but it's not serious. Your hair should be salvageable with sufficient washing, Highness."

"Joy," she muttered.

Her Highness' wound is already closed. Margary, escort Her Highness to her chamber. Call a maid to bring a fresh gown and a bowl of rose water for her hair."

Hokuto allowed herself to be dragged along, remembering belatedly to behave as if this were only her due. _Rose water, honestly._ She nodded haughtily to the doctor, sending sharp waves of pain through her temples.

Hokuto blushed when she realized the maid in the room she had been led to actually meant to undress her. Her torn, bloodied school uniform disappeared, to be replaced with a gown that she doubted she could have put on herself if she wasn't tired with a pounding head. It probably was physically impossible for one person to lace themselves into it. Altogether, though, she felt much better now that she was no longer sticky and the scent of roses and the massage of her scalp to get the dried blood out of her hair had made her more clearheaded than she had felt in a while.

_Right. Finding out who exactly they think I am. And who they are and where I am. And where the real princess is. Then I would like to get back to the question of who _I_ am._ She slipped the makeup compact, loose change, and strange star-tipped wand she had palmed into her new clothes.

"Your Highness, Lord Zoisite would be honored if you would join him in his study."

"Is he the commander of the castle?"

"Yes, Your Highness. The other Shitennou and His Highness are still wrapping up the bandits who fired on your ship."

"Very good. I'll see him."

The man who stood when she entered the room, she personally thought, would look better in the dress than she did. "Your Highness," he bowed, "you have Earth's sincerest apologizes and we will do anything to keep this incident from jeopardizing the relationship with your honored planet."

Earth. Princess Mars. Hokuto had no basis of comparison of just how bizarre this all was, or she'd have made an analogy.

"Please be assured I bear you no ill will."

"Your Highness is gracious."

"You don't have to keep calling me 'Your Highness'. You could… use my name." _Please don't make me ask my name._

Zoisite seemed horrified and aghast. "I would never presume."

"Oh come on! You're a prince's trusted advisor and I'm a princess not so difference in rank from him giving you permission."

"But you're a Senshi! Even on Earth we know a Senshi's name is never to be used. I… don't actually believe I've ever heard your name spoken."

_Oh dear gods, he doesn't even know it. _She said resignedly. "Perhaps you would call me by a name that is not my real one, but had been serving me comfortably for a while: Morino Hokuto."

"Hokuto-sama? You are too kind."

_And evidentially making one faux pas after another._

"Whatever you may have heard about me, I am not one to stand on ceremony." _Since I gather we've never met before._

"I apologize. I had only hoped not to offend our honored allies."

"It has been a long day. Perhaps you could tell me all that you know of… the current incident."

"We believe that a nobleman, a disgruntled isolationist, learned the exact time of Your Hi—your arrival and used forbidden weapons to open fire on your ship."

Hokuto nodded gravely. "How are things in the capitol?"

"His Majesty and His Majesty of Mars are in conference. We sent word to them as soon as you were located. We have no Lunarian embassy on Earth, but I'm sure they are being alerted."

"That's… good." How could she ask any of the questions she wanted to? _That's my father, right? What am I supposed to be doing here? How long am I going to keep having to keep this up, because in that case I'm going to have to become a political genius without asking a single question about people, history, law, or protocol? And, oh yeah, who am I, really?_ The little wand felt comfortably warm under the hand in her pocket.

"I'm—" No apologizing. Eh, whatever. "I'm sorry. I really am tired—"

"Oh! My most sincere apologizes, Your—Hokuto-sama. Of course you would wish to retire. On the morrow my fellow Shitennou should be here to greet you properly." He knelt this time and kissed her hand. "Welcome to Earth."

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

After two maids and a dress that made the one from yesterday look like an informal slip, Hokuto descended for breakfast in time for the ninth bell, only tripping over herself… well, a lot.

It was easy to tell the nobles' table from the servants' and there were two new men sitting at either side of Lord Zoisite.

"…Prince Arienes himself, blowing off a whole load of steam. Well, Jadeite can take him in a fight and has before and that's the only thing he respects," she overheard as she approached.

The white-haired man caught his red-haired companion's eye and he fell silent.

"Good morning, Your Highness."

_The birds are blooming, the flowers are singing, who am I?_ "Good morning…"

"I am Kunzite and this is Nephrite, also of the Shitennou."

_I'm very pleased to meet you? What are Shitennou?_

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

"The honor is all ours, Your Highness."

Hokuto pulled up a chair, spooned a ladleful of poached eggs onto a porcelain plate, yawned, and dug in. There was a flurry of whispers beside her, of which she picked up "like a man" and "Martian". _Not again._ It was too early to figure out how she should have arranged her skirts as she sat. She came to the conclusion she had been a coffee drinker, though she saw no sign of the drink. She fumbled for a kettle of green tea, when a servant reached over to pour for her. Oh, she had made a mistake with that too.

_Princesses don't yawn, or at least not loudly. They don't belch. They don't put their elbows on the table or catch their sleeves in the food._

The whispers beside her had finally resolved into Zoisite facing her again. "We apologize again, Your Highness. We should have remembered earlier that you are a Martian princess. Thank you for not calling out over it. When you have broken your fast, we will have proper accommodations ready." Zoisite politely excused himself from the table.

"Thank you. I was willing to excuse your… foreign ignorance, but I would appreciate it."

"The staff was not aware that a Martian princess is different, but I'm sure Your Highness is used to that in the Lunar court."

"Yes, it's very different from home," she said blindly.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

A servant led her back to her rooms to show her the "change of accommodations". A new set of clothes were laid out, loose pants and a soft leather tunic. The pants were the same as the Shitennou had been wearing, though none of them had had the trimming in red. There were high boots instead of slippers and numerous leather belts and harnesses. A wide selection of weapons were laid out on her bed.

_Mars. God of war. I must be some kind of Xena the Warrior Princess._

She let the maid help her out of the dress, but she dressed herself. She doubted she could harness on most of the weapons without hurting herself, let alone use them. She ended up crossing a pair of swords across her back and quickly practiced sitting with them on. It didn't feel like anything she'd ever done before, but it felt easy, natural. She clipped a dagger and the red want to her belt and tied back her absurdly long hair. It would probably be an international—interplanetary—incident if she cut it.

With a more confident swagger, and trousers, Hokuto set out to find a ride to the capitol.


	3. The Other Girl's Life

Title: The Other Girl's Life  
**Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon**  
Theme: Family--Estrangement  
Genre: Drama  
Version: Anime  
Rating: PG-13 

"Sister! Have those barbarians mistreated you more than they already harmed you? You're safe now; I'll get them back."  
"They've treated me very well, Brother," Hokuto said to Princes Arienes. "Not all barbarians are the same barbarian."

Evidentially she was someone who would contradict the prince of Mars, because he didn't seem surprised at her standing up to him.

Kunzite, behind her, pretended they were speaking a language he didn't understand. She had actually found him quite interesting on their carriage ride to the capitol, though she could only say so much as to not arouse suspicion.

"Your rooms are being made up in the embassy as we speak."

"Perhaps Her Highness would like to spar with some of the royal guard until it is ready."

"That would be a splendid idea. Show the Earthlings, Sister."

_Wait, what? How do I get out of this? _she thought frantically as she went away with Kunzite.

"He calms down so much."

"Hm?"

"Oh, His Highness becomes much more agreeable in the presence of someone who can kic--who can defeat him in combat and regularly does."

_I can? Sheep take it._

"I had hoped to spar with you, but there has not been an opportunity."

_Kunzite? That's even worse!_

The practice courts were near where their carriage had stopped. Kunzite wasted no time finding an empty one and drawing his sword slowly.

_I'm tired? That's stupid. He thinks I can fight with live steel. He's thinking I'm good again. One sword or two?_ Hokuto considered the crossed swords on her back. _Not that it will make any difference. _She took out both, not sure how it wouldn't be an advantage.

Kunzite bowed to her and she bowed back, before he lunged at her suddenly. She darted out of the way more instinctively than consciously. He chopped sideways and she ducked so it only scrapped bluntly over the top of her head and flailed wildly at his legs. He sidestepped it easily, but one of her swords happened to collide with his next pass.

_Oof,_ she almost groaned at the clash of steel ringing up her arm. Her hand jerked with the shockwave through her body and she saw a blond man with red-trimmed pants identical to the ones she was wearing. She started and tripped. She dropped the sword locked with the other, sending both to the ground. She fell on her knees at his feet, her remaining sword hand spinning wildly, landing with the sword point at his throat.

For a moment, Kunzite looked aghast. Then he started to laugh. "Oh well done, Your Highness. I knew you were good and I was being too cautious. And you really threw me off guard with the raw beginner act. I should have remembered the old adage of just how dangerous and unpredictable a completely untrained fighter can be. Thank you, Your Highness."

When she withdrew her sword and stood and looked over his shoulder, the man who had been there had already disappeared.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Wanting nothing more than a hot shower, bath, Hokuto was dissatisfied with the hustle and bustle of the Martian embassy. Maybe it was always that way.

"Oh she's here!" cried a servants, though she wasn't sure quite at whom.

Kunzite left her at the door, more respectfully than gallantly. She didn't need to ask before servants bustled her inside. They brought her not to her brother, but to an older woman in too many skirts and makeup and a crown.

"Princess Sailor Mars," Hokuto was announced.

She considered. Then she decided to go out on quite a limb. "Lady Mother."

"Oh don't be so distant, Enara," the woman was bawling theatrically. "Just because I never get to see you because you're always in that awful place and you almost died in this horrible place!"

_Enara. My name. My _name She decided to stay with Morino Hokuto until she was entirely sure she really was the princess. _I usually live in the Lunar Kingdom. That's why I'm not usually at home. I must be some kind of ambassador._

"I miss you too, Mother." Weren't Martian women supposed to be militaristic and strong, like her? "I just am needed other places right now. I still love home. I'll get you some tissues--handkerchiefs--a servant to get you handkerchiefs." She leapt around the corner faster than she had when Kunzite had been swinging at sword at her.

Arienes was there. "Uhh, I would have warned you Mother was here, but she only just arrived, unannounced." He looked rather sheepish.

Hokuto suspected he was thinking the same things as her. She dragged him back in with her. Maybe they could both step in to the conversation often enough to save each other.


	4. A Hint of Backstory

I know this is a short one, but I really wanted to write this, to set up the actual main plotline of the AU with stereotypically-named!Sailor-Moon-villain (but I wasn't trying for anything with that).

Title: A Hint of Backstory  
**Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon**  
Theme: Family--lyrics: "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" by The Hollies  
Genre: Angst, Drama  
Version: Anime/Manga  
Rating: PG

"How is she?"

"No change."

Usagi cried over Rei's laid out bodies. "Why won't she wake up?"

"Her spirit is not here," her grandfather said with the assured sageness of a priest.

"But that's good, right?" said Minako. "That means she has followed Quartz back in time to stop him from changing the past and to stop him from…" she trailed off. It was too painful to think of. Usagi burst into fresh sobs. "If the past did change, would we still be here? Would we notice? Does time for Rei in the past flow at the same speed as time for us here?" The time paradox was making her head hurt.

"We would know if our families of the past were gone. If Rei fails," her grandfather said ominously, "we won't be here to wonder about it."


	5. Most Magnificent Woman

Title: Most Magnificent Woman

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.**  
Theme: Favorite character (Kunzite)--Favorite 

It was impossible to think of her as Princess Mars; his view of "princess" was obviously too Earthan, or at least not Martian. But even imagining the oddness of foreigners, she was like no _prince_ Kunzite had ever met. The only thing that seemed to fit was the name she had given Zoisite, Hokuto.

He would never call her that, of course. But it suited over a title, for such an uncouth, but clearly deserving of nobility young woman. He had never met another Senshi, but he was willing to bet that he liked her best.

The Shitennou smiled fondly. He wished she had been one of his own men, though he was glad she was Martian and so able to live up to her full potential.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Kunzite looked at Jadeite in surprise. "Uh… maybe? I still can't get over the image of her in a dress."

"That bad, huh? She certainly wears my clothes better than I do."

"Sorry about that, but an extra set of yours were what we had on hand."

"She's the second-in-command of the Moon Princess' guard, so her kicking your ass yesterday makes me wonder about their leader. But I've heard she's taken all these vows of chastity…"

"Jadeite, you aren't seriously…"

"No, no, of course not. I'm just saying. I'm not seriously… about a foreign Senshi…"

"Good," was the only thing Kunzite could think to say. "We'll escort her to the palace tomorrow, if she is still willing to go. Now, what did Zoisite and Nephrite report?"


	6. Magical But Not Fun

Title: Magical But Not Fun  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon  
Theme: Silver Millennium--Mistaken identity 

"Your Highness, this is Lord Jadeite of the Shitennou," Kunzite introduced the man she had thought she'd seen before, who was real, more than real. Was a kiss on the hand supposed to tingle or linger so long?

Hokuto dragged her attention back to Kunzite to hear "Apologize Prince Endymion is still in the country."

They were going to take her to the palace proper! She was so excited (to over-mask her fear) that she forgot to accept their apology and then beat herself over the head for it.

The city seemed all sparkly and new and Hokuto was torn between staring out the window and at Jadeite. She chose to focus on the former. She ignored Kunzite's hand to skip down the steps of the carriage alone and didn't trip over anything.

Four Earthan lords and her own mother and brother hadn't figured out that, well, they weren't her mother and brother (or maybe they were) but she had no memory of ever meeting any of them before. Not that people she wasn't supposed to have met couldn't figure out something was wrong with her. She thought it all absurdly cheerfully.

A blue-haired groom holding the horses looked up at her and his face twisted into a mask of rage. "You!" Everyone in the room flew backwards as though hit by an invisible force. Kunzite and Jadeite didn't fly quite as far and were the only ones who looked conscious, but that was the best that could be said. "You interfered with my time travel!"

_Magic. Crazy feudal age magic. I'm in a D&D game_. She drew her sword awkwardly and her hands were shaking enough that she dropped it. _Shit._ Hokuto fumbled for her dagger but only ended up with the strange red wand she had had with her since she lost her memory.

Before she could toss it away in favor of diving for her sword, the device began to glow. "Mars Power Makeup!" she found herself yelling.

At least the skirt was short and unconfining and the red heels felt natural on her feet, not like she was going to turn an ankle and fall on the first step. _Give me magic power._ She flailed the wand wildly and spurts or fire trailed out.

The blue-haired man was in more trouble from the boomerangs Kunzite was chucking and the random objects from around the room Jadeite was. The doors behind them flew open and the man ran, or teleported more accurately.

"I believe the rumors we've heard might not be exaggerated," came Hokuto's voice from behind her. She spun to see a young woman with her face and a coroneted young man.

He agreed, "I believe you are right, Princess Mars."


	7. The Jig is Up

Title: The Jig is Up  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon  
Theme: Silver Millennium--Chivalry 

"Who is this?" asked the dark haired young man.

"On my honor, I must tell you, this is the Princess Mars," Kunzite stepped up to defend her.

"And, obviously, she is Sailor Mars."

"And she was able to defeat me in single combat with her sword work."

"Obviously we share more than just a face," the princess, the real princess said. She was, at a glance, everything Hokuto had been trying to pretend to be. Graceful and elegant, wearing her weapons naturally. Her hawk-like eyes indicating a temper, but her poise told of a noble lady who would express it was with a single well-placed sharp comment.

There was no chance of thinking up a deception now and Hokuto suddenly didn't want to. Let other people deal with it. She began babbling. "My name is Morino Hokuto, except I'm not sure it's my name; it's probably not because I just made it up--"  
"Wait, you're not the princess?"

"I didn't know if I was! I don't have any memories. Well, I sort of remember this place called Tokyo but not any personal memories of who I am--"

"The transformation tool would not work for just anyone. As I am not dead, she must be me." She raised an eyebrow. "I do not know how this is happening, though."

"Who attacked you?" asked the man, Prince Endymion who she had heard mentioned probably.

"I don't know." It seemed a shame to leave a nice sword lying around on the ground, but upon picking it up Hokuto realized her scabbard wasn't there, so she stood there looking stupid.

"Detransform," Princess Enara prompted. At Hokuto's continued confused look, she continued, "It's the easy part. Just think yourself normal and let the magic go."

Yes, because Hokuto knew anything about magic. She closed her eyes and thought _Go away_ and tried to think the vague mental picture she had of what she had been wearing. _Remember those boots? They were nice boots. Off-white, kind of soft, almost to my knees. _She was too scared to open her eyes yet. _Not red--no, no, boots._ Flexing her leg, she felt pressure against her calf and opened her eyes in surprise.

No one else was looking at her like she'd done anything unusual. _Magic. Magic._

"How many people were taken in?"

"Uh… the Shitennou, the Martial queen, Prince Arienes, a lot of servants…"

"Hm." She sounded amused. "Anyone who can wield the power of Sailor Mars should be a natural."

"Jadeite. If she can't remember, I need you to read her mind."

Hokuto jumped, but the prince wouldn't have suggested it immediately if it was not something normal they did all the time, right?

"Get a chair," Kunzite ordered and one was produced a moment later. Shakily, Hokuto sat down and Jadeite stepped behind her and put his hands on her temples.

_Warm…_

"I see... a city like nothing I've ever seen before. It must be on Mars or somewhere even further. I cannot describe it, all the fast movements and lights. I see… me. But we've never met before and I'm dressed strangely. And I see more Senshi. That man, where is that man? There. A badly cast spell, or maybe a priestly one, oh she was hit in the head half-cast, that's what's blocking her memory…"

She twitched and went limp with enough force to fall out of her chair. Jadeite and Kunzite darted forward to pick her up. She looked out at the Martian princess, though, who was still staring intently at her. "I'm Hino Rei. Your reincarnation."


End file.
